


The Old Ties That Bind

by Evaldrynn



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: AU set on Earth, Asgard is gone, But Loki is a bit more of an arse still, F/M, Quick Burn, Set after Ragnarok, Thor is king, reader is female
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-03-06 03:30:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13402524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evaldrynn/pseuds/Evaldrynn
Summary: AU set on MidgardSet after Thor: RagnarokDespite Loki's many crimes, Thor has decided to be merciful regarding his sentence and sends his adoptive brother to an old friend of them on Midgard; with the hope that he will learn to be more humble and kind. No riches, no status, and no powers. It worked for him, but will it work for the Trickster, too?Thank you for commissioning me!





	1. Reunion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [meowthatswhatimtalkingabout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/meowthatswhatimtalkingabout/gifts).



“Thank you for doing this.”

“Of course.”

You glanced from the golden-haired prince to his adoptive brother, who stood with his arms crossed and his gaze averted a couple of steps behind him. He did certainly not look amused. No surprise, really, with the sentence that he had been given - and if you were honest you didn’t care much for this arrangement either. But alas, the old ties that bind. 

You turned your attention back to Thor. “Heimdall will keep you updated, but if anything goes wrong I’d like to try and fix it myself first. Only when I see no other way I’ll send word to you.” 

“I appreciate that. I made him promise to behave but you know what he’s like, so don’t hesitate to bring this to a halt when you can no longer bear it.” 

A nod in response. You did actually hope it would work out, more so for him than for you, because his other options were far less merciful; and the fond memories you had of him - of both of them - hadn’t faded. No, you remembered it all very well. The training, the gentle encouragements of the ever-graceful Frigga, the mischief, the fun. It was all so bittersweet. 

“Will do.” Your gaze shifted to Loki, and he answered it. “Don’t think I’ll go easy on you, pal. It’s a sentence, not a holiday.” 

“No need to remind me.” 

He averted his eyes again, uninterested as always. 

Thor cleared his throat. “All right then, I will be off.” He enveloped you in his arms and you returned the hug, trying not to let nostalgia get the best of you. 

“I missed you guys. So much has changed since I last saw you; I don’t even know half of what happened! Do come visit more often?” 

He chuckled and let go. “I’ll try to make some time, though it might be difficult now that I am in charge of our people. Asgard won’t be rebuilt in a day, after all.” 

“Ah yes, king of Asgard; is it bad that it keeps astonishing me? You really need to tell me everything one day soon.” 

“Of course, you have my word.” 

“Good. I’ll show you out, then.” 

You walked past them through the living room and opened the front door of your Midgardian apartment for him. 

“Just follow the stairs up; I left the entrance to the roof unlocked.” 

“Considerate as always.” 

A last exchanging of smiles, glances that spoke volumes. He turned away, and you quietly shut the door behind him.  
No one left but you and Silvertongue. 

You moved back through the living room and into the adjoining kitchen, the cold light of the fridge illuminating your face as soon as you pulled it open. “Care for a drink? I’ve got soda, some juice, lemonade… There’s coffee, tea, and water too; if you’d like.” 

“I see you are still into my brother.” 

A sigh escaped your lips as you closed the door with a magnetic thud and straightened your back, no shame in your eyes as you met those of the man now standing right beside you. 

“You know I’ve never fancied him.” 

“Liar.” 

You rolled your eyes and turned away from him to make yourself some coffee, his accusations not bothering you in the least. You had never liked Thor - not that way, anyway. He had been a great friend, and he had certainly changed since the last time you had spoken, but even now you hadn’t felt anything besides companionship towards him. Not to mention that as a child he had been cocky, selfish, boastful, incredibly loud, and an overall arse sometimes. A mocking huff left your lungs before you had even considered stopping it. No, you could never have fallen for him back then. And now... You weren’t sure. You didn’t know him well enough anymore. 

As for Loki, however… Yeah, you had liked him for a little while, against all reason. You had seen how rude he could be, how mean, how unfair and dishonest; and yet your younger self had decided: yes, this boy, I like him. Perhaps you had just been impressed by his magic and how he advanced so much faster than you, or perhaps it had been the occasional times he had been kind to no one but you. Granted, you had been his only friend in the entire palace.

Ah, the more you thought about your childhood the more you began to miss it. The good times, the good food, the lovely people; all of it. The entirety of Asgard. Oh how you had cried when you’d heard it had been destroyed. How you had wept for every life that was lost, every person you might have known and would never see again. You had cried for Frigga, too; for the warmth that left the universe with her death. 

But you had not cried for Odin. 

He was the reason you were here, after all. A different realm from where you were born, a different realm from where you had truly wanted to live your life. You had wanted to return after his death, but then the destruction had thrown away your plans and had ripped your excitement from your fingers. 

“But sure, if that’s what you believe then continue to do so by all means; I don’t really care.” You took the cup from the machine and made your way through the kitchen, not even a glance spared in his direction. “I’ll show you where you will be sleeping.” 

As you passed the doors you labeled them for him. Pantry. Bathroom. Your bedroom. And, finally, the guest room. 

“I am not sleeping in that filthy bed.” 

“Too bad; it’s this or the couch. And besides, no one has ever slept in this bed, so it can’t even be dirty. Just be sure to get the dust off your blanket.” 

He pulled up his nose and you shot him a look. 

“It seems I do have to remind you of your punishment. You’re ignorant if you expected a five-star hotel suite.” 

His eyes grew cold and dark. He didn’t quite know what you had meant by five stars, but he was certainly not _ignorant_. “Don’t ever call me that again.” 

“Then step the fuck up and deal with it.” 

You pinched the bridge of your nose and sighed.

“Listen, Loki: I know you don’t like this, you know I don’t like this, but let's make the most of it, okay?” Again memories of a past long gone filled your mind, and your shoulders sagged a bit; melancholy tainting your words as you spoke again. “Every so often I still think about then, you know. About the fun we had, the pranks we pulled on your brother. Can’t we try and find our friendship again? Can’t we try and make this fun somehow, instead of me just babysitting a stranger I used you know? Let me at least try to make this easier - for both of us.” 

He stayed silent but the harshness had left his gaze, had left his posture. He didn’t agree yet he didn’t disagree, either; so you assumed he was at least willing to try. All right, that was better than you could have hoped for! 

“Shall we go shopping first? You need more than just one set of clothes and I need to get some groceries for tonight’s dinner. Is there anything you’d like to eat?” 

“Surprise me.” 

But his smile, however small, was gentle. 

 

 

 

Luckily the streets were nearly empty when the two of you made your way down to the shopping centre. He obediently walked by your side, not too impressed by whatever he saw, and you glanced at him from the corner of your eye. 

“You may need a haircut, too. I liked it better when it was shorter. Besides not many people have long black hair, so it will be one less point of recognition.” 

“Humans are idiots; they will not even notice I am here.” 

You frowned and studied his face. “Why do you think so low of them? I know you know of their cultures, their languages; so why do you hate them so much?” 

“I do not necessarily hate them,” he replied as he halted in front of a tailor shop. “This looks adequate at least.” 

You sighed. “You’re already wearing a suit, there’s no need for two. Besides it’s a little above my budget, Loki.” 

“Nonsense, I know that for Midgardian standards you are amongst the richest-” 

“A little above the budget I am _allowed to spend on you_.”

Yes, you were quite rich, especially for a ‘human’, but that was no surprise after hundreds of years living alongside them and building up a fortune by working, investing, and saving up. The apartment the two of you were staying in was only one of the few you owned - and the least luxurious one at that. But that was the whole point of his sentence! No riches, no magic, no violence, no trickery. Had they managed to take his magic away, though? You weren’t sure. But you knew the rules and so did he: three mistakes and he was out. Unless the first mistake was murder, of course; then you imagined he would be taken away after strike one. 

Still… 

You glanced at him again. You had never thought him to be capable of something like that. When you had known him he had been respectful to every living being except Asgardians, and he had never even tried to hurt an animal - he had seemed appalled by the idea alone! So what had changed after you had left? What had twisted him so much? 

“No matter how much you look at me like that, I am not getting a haircut.” 

Caught red handed. Well, more like red-faced. Blood rushed to your cheeks as you averted your eyes and huffed. “That was not what I was thinking about. And yes, you _are_ getting that haircut. That’s an order.” 

He grabbed your arm, pulled you into the alleyway the two of you just passed, and slammed you against the wall; his voice a dangerous hiss.

“Do _not_ order me around. I am still your prince and you are still far below me in status.”

Your eyes were wide, your heart beating twice as fast, and yet strangely enough you still didn’t fear him. You hadn’t feared him after hearing about Stuttgart, you hadn’t feared him after hearing about New York. And even now, with your wrists pinned to the brick wall, his intimidating body towering over you and his face only inches away from yours, you still didn’t feel a single wisp of fear. 

“So this is who you’ve become.” You didn’t avert your gaze, kept staring straight into those beautiful green eyes of his. “This is what you turned into, in the time between my leaving and our reunion.” Your heart stilled and your gaze grew gentler, more worried than anything, your voice soft. “What happened?” 

He let go of your wrists and stepped away. “Nothing that concerns you.” 

Before he had the chance to turn his back to you and walk away you took gentle hold of his arm and kept him where he was.

“It does concern me. I know you were always fond of saying you were a prince and that the others were all idiots far below you, but we were children back then! We were friends. I looked up to you because you were my friend, Loki, not my prince. Why would it be different now?” You were getting off-track. “What I mean to say is that I didn’t think you would grow up like this, with the same ideas as then, the same attitude. I didn’t think you’d grow up to be a murderer. What changed? What made you like this?” 

“There is no need for you to know-”

“There _is_ , Loki! There _is_!” You let go of his arm, let your own fall to your side. Disappointment and sadness fought for dominance but were equal in strength, and not even your sigh could calm their battle. “Do you know how happy I was, to hear that you were still alive?” 

This made him turn around. 

“Do you know how much I looked forward to coming back to the palace? How much I looked forward to seeing you again? You were my best friend, Loki. When my parents took me away I cried for days, weeks, because I knew I couldn’t go play with you. I couldn’t go see you, talk to you, help you fool your brother. I hated every second of every hour of at least the first couple of years. I tried making friends here after a while but those stupid humans with their stupidly short lifespans kept dying on me a-and I-” 

You wiped a hand over your cheek. Fuck, you hadn’t wanted to cry, hadn’t wanted him to see you like this - especially on the day of your reunion. 

“And then a few years ago I turn on the TV and there you are, all grown up and handsome and powerful. I recognised you immediately. But you weren’t _you_ , not the you I remembered. You were _killing_ people. Cutting out their eyeballs and bringing them to their knees - and then a bit later you were destroying buildings and stuff! Can’t you see how confused I was? I thought: why is he doing this? Surely this can’t be the Loki I know?.” 

You took a deep breath. 

“And then you disappeared again, until a few days ago when I got the message from your brother that he needed me to carry out your sentence. I didn’t know whether to accept or not. On TV it seemed like you had changed so much, that you had become an entirely different person. So yes, Loki, it _does_ concern me. This isn’t how I remember you. This isn’t who you are. So please, _please _just tell me:__

____

____

What happened?” 


	2. Return

He stared at you, scanning your eyes with wide ones of his own, and you realised you were still holding onto his arm. Letting the strength seep from your fingers they fell back to your side. Why wasn't he saying anything? Why wasn't he telling you? Had he truly become a murderer? But then the look on his face shifted and he averted his gaze, his voice softer.

“My apologies. I fear it's been too long since...” 

He sighed, his shoulders sagging just a little. It was as if the subject was too painful for him to even think about, even though he had been the one to play his part in it all. 

“How about we talk about this later? I will tell you what happened, every gruesome detail, so you can decide for yourself whether or not I am still the same person you used to know.” He glanced back at you, at how you wiped away the tear stains from your cheeks, and he didn't seem to know how to react to it.  
“I... please stop crying, I-I don't...” His eyebrows pulled together a little in a pained frown, his lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say more but couldn't find the words.

“Y-yeah, yeah, I'm sorry; give me a second.” 

You brushed the last tears away and took a deep breath to calm yourself a little; ashamed of your emotional outburst. It had been so many years and still the past seemed to haunt you for some reason. Maybe you needed therapy? Yet since you weren't actually human and your past went back more than just a few decades, unlike theirs, you doubted anyone would be able to really help you. Another great benefit of living in this godsforsaken realm.  
With your composure restored a little you looked back up at him and gave him a slanted smile to signal you were okay. 

In response he hesitantly lifted a hand and gave you two awkward pats on the shoulder. 

… What?

You snorted. “Is this how you console people? Wow.” A soft laugh. “You're really bad at this, you know that?” 

“Oh shut up,” he huffed, and before you could blink he pulled you into a tight hug. 

Oh. 

Your arms slowly wrapped around him in return and you hugged him back, eyes closed, face buried in the fabric of his high-quality suit. Had he always smelled this wonderful? You felt the fondness from your youth return to your heart, and how it made its beating quicken a little. He had meant so much to you. He still did. 

Before you knew it the moment was gone and he had stepped away again, like it had never even happened to begin with. 

“Let's go get those ingredients you need for making me dinner, and perhaps we will come across a shop that I consider decent enough to buy new clothes at.” 

You couldn't help but breathe out a chuckle and you rolled your eyes, moving to his side as the two of you left the alleyway and entered the main street again. “I'm not 'making you dinner', I'm going to teach you how to cook; and we're going to get you cheap clothes whether you consider them decent or not.” 

His smile grew a little more playful. “Well, I could always choose not to wear them and walk around naked instead?” 

A soft slap to his arm, accompanied by the grin on your face. 

“Don't even dare.” 

Though, if you were honest, you wouldn't fully mind if he did. Wait, no – stop that. You were not going to revive your crush on him, damn it! Keep it professional. 

 

A clothes shop was soon found and you were prepared to push or drag the damned Asgardian inside, _especially_ with that condescending look on his face, yet luckily there was no need to: with visible disgust he followed you inside and glanced around, his nose pulled up. What a snob.  
You shook your head with a smile and began to search the racks for things in his size – still trying to keep it somewhat fashionable - and, just to tease him, you added some truly horrendous things to the collection as well.  
You unceremoniously dumped the stack into his arms and ushered him to the changing booth in the back. 

“Try something on and step outside so that I can see whether it fits or not; I think I guessed your size right but I can't be sure until I see it on you. Oh, and we need you to get some new shoes as well, but we could keep that for later if you want.” 

He let out a nondescript grumble and disappeared behind the curtain, taking his sweet-ass time to change. After a minute you decided to sit down on one of the provided chairs. After five minutes a slight frown formed on your face. And just when you began to wonder if he was still there or if he had teleported away he stepped out of the booth – wearing black, slim fit jeans, a dark green t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. Of course he would pick those colours. 

But you had to be honest: he looked incredibly handsome dressed down like that. Actually? You were pretty sure he would look incredibly handsome in _anything_. 

“These pieces were the only acceptable ones. And really?” He held up the bright purple shirt with orange dots and green fringes, one eyebrow lifted. “Did you really think I would even consider trying this on?”

You couldn't help but grin. “Why not? I'm sure you would look dashing in it.” 

Moving from the seat to your old friend you checked if it all fit, pulling a bit on the hem here and there to fashion it a bit more neatly, and nodded with an approving pout. “Guess I was right about your size. All right, I'll just grab you a few more things but you won't need to try them on, and I'll do my best to keep it in your style. Go and change back.” 

And within ten minutes the two of you continued on your way to the grocery store; though this time two bags on Loki's arms. It had surprised you how he hadn't even protested when you had made him carry his own stuff. Maybe there was hope for him yet?  
He went along without a word, putting the ingredients into the cart as you pushed it along and pointed at things while chatting casually, and it almost felt... peaceful. Domestic. You could imagine that a normal life with Loki at your side would be like this – but you stopped the fantasy before your mind could get lost in it.  
You got a few extra things simply because Loki picked them off the shelves and looked at them with curiosity, asking what it was or what it could be used for. Gods, you didn't want to use the word 'adorable' in regards to the man who was technically your prisoner and who was technically being punished for crimes you didn't even want to think about, but how could you not? How could you resist buying him those little random things that intrigued him or confused him, just to see the look on his face when he tried it out later this week? It seemed you were a bit of a weak warden.  
Oh well. 

You paid for the contents of the shopping cart, helped Loki put it all in bags, and carried it all back to the apartment; giving him the task of setting it all on the counter while you distributed it over the cabinets, fridge, and freezer. He was cooperating so well... It was almost suspicious. You glanced at him from the corner of your eyes, hands working on autopilot. Was he planning something? Hiding something? Working on some sort of mischievous scheme? You hadn't even heard him complain about the low quality of things since shopping for groceries, hadn't seen him look at your furniture with mild antipathy as if the condition they were in was personally offending him. Maybe it was strange, but you would be disappointed if the mischievousness of his youth had vanished.

“Being my 'guard' does not mean you have to keep an eye on me at all times – unless, of course, you enjoy the view.” 

Oh, good; at least you didn't need to fear for his sass. 

His smirk was wide, and that twinkle in that beautiful emerald green was a little disarming, but you rolled your eyes with a smile nonetheless. “I'm merely surprised you're collaborating without complaints, being helpful and all. I suppose it's not something I'm used to when it comes to you.” 

He laughed, the amusement in his gaze only growing. “Do you want me to misbehave?” 

Maybe it was how his voice was a little darker as he said it, maybe it was the intensity with which he looked at you, or maybe it were the implications those words had in your overactive imagination, but you almost _shivered_. It was impossible to keep the blush from appearing on your cheeks and so you leaned a bit more into the wafting cold of the fridge, hoping it would make the colour fade as quickly as it had come. Luckily your voice didn't betray you and stayed unwavering. 

“Not at all; it'll be easier for both of us if you don't.” 

“But where's the fun in that?” 

You pressed your lips together so as not to remind him of the fact that the other punishment wouldn't be nearly as comfortable and leisurely as this one should he dare to fuck this up for himself, because you knew he was well aware of it. Instead you finished putting everything in its rightful place and pushed yourself back onto your feet. 

“Well, I made your brother a promise and I do not intend to break it.”

Loki let out a mocking huff. “He doesn't need to know about everything that happens - in fact, there's no need for him to hear any details at all. As long as I don't murder anyone I'm sure you could be lenient with me.” 

You bit your tongue to keep your mind from wandering to the possible things either you or Loki would want to keep secret from Thor while his semi-exile lasted and instead began to get out the pots and pans needed for dinner; the ingredients that were needed still left out on the countertop. 

“I'm already being lenient enough. Maybe I should've bought you that purple shirt and forced you to walk around in it – now that's what I call a proper punishment.” 

You froze to your spot when suddenly his arms slid around your waist from behind and he rested his chin atop your head, his shit-eating grin audible in his voice still as he held you captive against his body. 

“You would never dare to do something so traumatising to your most cherished childhood friend.” 

For a moment you didn't know what to do. Your face was heating up fast and your heartbeat was quickening and you had no idea how to do or say anything when he held you like that, when he had his arms wrapped around your middle like the two of you were lovers who had gotten to the point of casual intimacy years ago.

“My _only_ childhood friend,” came your weak reply. 

He chuckled. “That should only make you cherish me more. What about Thor, then? Or do you consider him to be more than a friend?” 

That steeled your nerves a little. Why was he so convinced that you had a crush on Thor? It was the second time he had asked about it this day alone and honestly it was already getting to the point where it annoyed you. You stepped forward, out of his arms, and started grabbing some cutlery to work with. 

“I never have and I'm pretty sure I never will, but if you keep nagging me about it I might just give it a try to see why you think I'd be so into him. Now hand me the bag of onions.” 

He visibly tensed up, the look in his eyes turning dangerous. “I'm certain you wouldn't mind that, now, would you?” The mockery and disdain dripped from his words. “To have his strong, muscular arms around you so you can feel all warm and protected, to have the Golden Boy of Asgard hold your hand? I bet the moment you saw him this morning you wanted to push me back out the door and drag him to your bedroom.” 

You turned around back towards him, glared at him with fire and offence, and felt white-hot accusations rising up in your lungs the moment you opened your mouth to speak-

but they got stuck in your throat when you saw something else in his eyes too. 

Your mouth closed again and the anger in your gaze turned to confusion. Why... Why did it bother him so much? Why did he care what you thought about his brother? Unless...

“Loki are you... Are you jealous?” 

“Do I not have the right to be?” He set a step forward, towering over you as he backed you up against the kitchen counter. “When he always gets what he wants? When he is the loved one, the flawless one, the succesful one? When everyone admires him and loathes me? That oaf couldn't even save himself if someone took his toy away. To everyone I'm just a monster, some sort of abomination that shouldn't even see the light of day, and the only person who might think differently of me lusts after my brother just the same as all the others.” 

He set his hands down on the counter top on each side of you, trapping you between him and the cold granite, and your stomach twisted in a way that made the blush return to your face while you stared at him with wide eyes. Did he...? No, no he couldn't feel for you the way you did for him – not after only a day. He hadn't seen you for centuries, probably hadn't even thought about you for at least as long, and so it was impossible for him to get butterflies around you like you did around him; right? Did he get butterflies? Gods you wanted to know. 

You swallowed hard while trying to keep the fluttering beasts in your stomach under control and desperately searched your mind for the words to respond with. Could you just ask him? 

“I- you- do you-” Fuck, the way he stared at you so intensely made it hard to think, hard to speak. You took a deep breath and tried to calm yourself. “I'm not lusting after Thor.” He had it all wrong. “I didn't like him when we were younger and I don't even know him well enough to like him now. When we were kids i-it –“ You cleared your throat and averted your eyes, feeling like your face was on fire. “It was _you_ who I had a crush on. But you're being a real dick with these mood swings you know, and after that whole thing in New York? Anyway, my feelings don't matter, because I am your guard and I need to make sure you just sit out your punishment without fucking shit up.” 

You dared to shoot him another glare but you were met with disbelief and surprise written all over his face. It made some of your confidence return. 

“So don't just go and assume things or throw accusations like that. Now get me the damn onions or dinner will never get done.” 

But a smirk spread on his face and his gaze darkened. “I think I want something else for dinner.” 

And his lips crashed to yours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
